Eyes of a Stranger (1981)


REVIEWER RATING: 
6/10


Looks like I discovered yet another underrated slasher film to come out of the 80s. First it was He Knows You're Alone, with Tom Hanks, now it's Eyes of A Stranger, with Jennifer Jason Leigh - Yet another famous actor who first started out in a horror film. The story follows a serial killer who stalks, rapes, then kills women in a huge city and has apparently gotten away with it countless times. No one knows who it is or where to find him until a female news reporter discovers a suspicious man living in the same area as her, whom she suspects may be the man they're looking for. She does her own investigating, leaving her young deaf and blind sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) an easy target for the killer.

The story isn't too original but it's better than most slashers from the decade thanks to it's more realistic plot. Even the killer doesn't bother covering his face with a lame mask. At one point he wears a stalking over his face, but that doesn't last. It was amusing to see that the killer would make obscene phone calls to his victims before stalking and killing them, which reminded me slightly of Black Christmas. I believe Tom Savini did the effects for this movie, but you'd never know since most copies of this film are cut up. There is about 30 secs of footage cut from all versions except for the European one. It's nothing major, just an excess of gushing blood from the victims necks when the killer would kill them and maybe a more graphic decapitation scene. I was rather disappointed by the lack of gore in the film, especially since it was done by Savini.

The directing was good and the acting was well done from Lauren Tewes and Jennifer Jason Leigh. I think Jennifer did good playing a deaf and blind girl. She looked very young in the movie--I believe she was around 18 or 19 when she played in this. I would have given the movie a higher-rating, but I felt more could've been done with the death scenes. Other than that it had some good suspenseful scenes and a nice and somewhat believable story.

Another underrated slasher from the 80s. Decent death scenes and a semi-believable story and killer. Worth a rent, especially to see a young Jennifer Jason Leigh.
OVERALL: 
Another underrated slasher from the 80s. Decent death scenes and a semi-believable story and killer. Worth a rent, especially to see a young Jennifer Jason Leigh.


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